Oscar Niemeyer - Cathedral of Brasilia

 Oscar Niemeyer

The Cathedral of Brasilia is located in Brazil's capital city, Brasilia. On the 12 September 1958, the corner stone to the cathedral was laid. By 1960, the structure itself was completed. By 31 May 1970, the external glass panels had been completed and the cathedral dedicated. The concrete parabolic columns which support the sixteen coloured stained glass windows creates a unique form which defies the conventional structure of cathedral. With this design, Niemeyer proposed the façade of this cathedral to look like two arms stretching up onto the heavens. The Baptistery takes on an oval form to replicate the host. It is made of ceramic tiles and is connected to the cathedral through an underground tunnel. Within and around the cathedral lay sculptures of angels and apostles sculpted by   Alfredo Ceschiatti and Dante Croce.

My Observations:

The overall structure from its exterior view, gives an impression of it being structurally solid as the dominant element are the parabolic concrete columns. However look at the cathedral internally, Niemeyer has made great use of light to create an open area which seems to have plenty of space. It's simplistic elements and use of blue, white, and browns still evoke a sense of modernism (though finished in the 70s) whilst also holding the symbolism that traditional cathedrals possess reflected in its architectural form. 

Elements gained from this are:

• Use of hyperbolic structure
• Use of white and blue colours to promote harmony and modernism
• Design for representation in the form ie: The columns representing stretching out arms to heavens 

Information gathered from

http://www.aboutbrasilia.com/travel/brasilia-cathedral.html

http://www.thetopdraw.com/world_heritage_hi_res.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyv2w0nnEFg